This is the stomach-churning moment a rare rainbow snake struggled to swallow a whole slimy eel.

Footage shows the elusive predator with shiny black scales hauling the smaller immobile eel onto land in a swamp in the US state of Georgia late November.

Wildlife officials captured the fascinating video, which shows the serpent dragging the slimy eel through dry leaves and grass before slowly slurping it up like a thick noodle.

The Wildlife Resources Division of Georgia's Department of Natural Resources said: 'The two were observed splashing around in the shallow water. The snake eventually overpowered the eel, dragged it to the shore and began the slow and steady process of devouring a meal half its body size - a common feat for water snakes.'

Rainbow snakes are non-venomous, highly aquatic snakes that can grow up to 66 inches long. They usually sport multicoloured stripes along their glossy black scales, giving them their name.

Rainbow snake sightings are rare as the creatures spend most of their lives hidden among vegetation.

They live in a variety of aquatic habitats, but are most commonly found in swamps and blackwater rivers and creeks.

Eels are among their favourite prey, earning the snake the amusing moniker 'eel moccasin'.